Company Name: Advanced Wing Systems
Announcement Date: 13/10/2015
Announcement Category: Product launch/update
Announcement Content:
Advanced Wing Systems is introducing the latest technology in wing design, the semi rigid wing or SRW, by coupling it with a boat designed to get the most from the power of the wing sail.
The SRW uses a patented technology that creates a semi rigid aerofoil structure but is still capable of being easily hoisted, reefed and stowed. The SRW is a breakthrough in practicality, usability and reliability of wing sails. It’s simple, lightweight design means that the SRW can be applied to a wide range of sailing yachts.
To demonstrate the flexibility and capability of the SRW technology, Advanced Wing Systems has worked with Nicolas Goldenberg of G Yacht Design, to build a light, fast, user friendly and enjoyable, 8 m sports boat. Nicolas said, “The K8 is unlike any other sports boat on the market, simply because all other boats have been designed for conventional rigs. The initial design brief from Advanced Wing Systems was to create an exciting sports boat that is easy to sail with a small crew. The K8 has modern, powerful lines to take advantage of the extra power of the wing. The wide chines provide narrow heeled waterlines and high stability allows the boat to be sailed with 3¬5 crew. The trend is away from sports boats which require a crew of 6 super athletic members, and the SRW makes this easier to achieve.”
The K8 will be a one design class but also capable of being raced under club handicaps and IRC.
Greg Johnston of Advanced Wing Systems said, “The K8 is simple to sail, but it has a number of differences which will change race tactics. For example, the SRW does not luff and allows the skipper to sail to heights that are simply not achievable with conventional sails. So, for example, this allows for some very interesting start manoeuvres.”
The K8 has been optimised for the SRW but this wing technology is readily applicable to many types of yachts. And the benefits are not only in the performance. Bret Perry, CEO of Katabatic Performance Sailing in Valencia, Spain, has been testing the SRW for well over a year now and has sailed the new K8 more than anyone. According to Bret, “The SRW is a delight to handle. It is easy to hoist and stow and it doesn’t flap or flog like a normal sail. When the wing is in “neutral” it is very flat and simply sits behind the mast. The lack of flapping and flogging makes the SRW safer to hoist, and the sail will last much longer. Once you are sailing, it becomes apparent how stable and well behaved the SRW is. The K8 is easily sailed with four people and very quickly reaches planing on all points of sailing. There are technical differences in the SRW which will challenge well established notions of sail trim, but this makes the boat new and exciting.”
The K8 is constructed from e-glass/foam, with the strategic use of carbon fibre, to ensure a stiff, lightweight boat. The bulb keel can be retracted to allow the boat to be towed on a trailer. The deck layout is simple and clean. All the wing controls come from a central cockpit pod and are within easy reach.
The boat is designed to allow the skipper to concentrate on steering. The twin rudders ensure efficient, effortless steering at optimal heel.
The K8 will come with a mast head spinnaker and a self-tacking headsail. The conventional sails on the boat have been optimised to work with the wing giving impressive upwind and downwind performance.
Specifications
LOA: 7.99 m
BOA: 2.55 m
Draft: 2.1 m
Displacement: 900kg
Crew: 3-5 (350 kg limit in one design)
Wing Area: 29m2
Jib: 12m2
Spinnaker: 78m2
Announcement URL: http://www.facebook.com/advancedwingsystems
About Advanced Wing Systems:
The Advanced Wing Systems soft wing sail is the result of extensive research, modelling and practical testing. It provides a practical combination of aerodynamic performance and robustness in design.
Go to Company Profile for: Advanced Wing Systems
Announcement Contact: [email protected]
